A lot of people that i've shared this story with say I should post it ,so here goes and please bear with me. This may take a few pages.

Jan 3rd started out a beauty of a day for this time of year. (highs in the sixties-great daay for a ride). Most of my usual riding buds were out of town for whatever reason so I thought I would hook up with some folks at the CrossBar Ranch in Davis OK. for some rock ridin'. I load my exc 450 on the trailer and throw the gearbag in the back seat and off I went. I already broke the first rule of offroading-Don't go alone! I live in a suburb of OKC and it is approx. 1&3/4 hr drive south to the "ranch". i see 2 people I know there so I won't be solo after all. After gearin'up we went for a short warm up ride. Those who have never been to the CrossBar need to know that this
is 8000 or so acres of wooded , rocky, land with about 35 miles of trails on it and some of it can be a little challenging especially with a little moisture on it. However it was dry this day-good riding. By the time everyone was ready, there was about 8 riders in the group including an atv rider who to this day I don't know his name and a beginner rider on a KTM 2smoker. I was the last of the group so as not to let the beginner get to far behind or lost. We had ridden about 13 miles an coming up a hilltop to a great view, everyone decided to stop for a break and enjoy the view. (If this seems long winded-it is for a reason). After a short break-off we go. We were coming up on a long, winding, rocky downhill and the beginner was tensing up and getting a little squirrely and was slowing way down. i was getting a little flustered so I found a place to make a clean pass to go around. My intention was to stop him a ways down and try to give him a few pointers on rocks(not to happen). I ride a few hundred feet tho and make a bit of a right turn and I see a tree limb sticking out in such a way as it COULD snag my throttle cables and (you get the picture) but what I didn't see was the tree branch to my left. I forgot to add that I was carrying a backpack with my helmet cam gear and yes the film was rolling. this branch somehow got under my left pack strap and all I remember is my left hand being stretched off the handlebar and I could hear my right hand roll on the throttle and WHAM! WHERE THE HELL DID THAT TRUCK COME FROM? I felt a sharp stabbing pain on my left side and I felt myself gasping for air. I lay on the ground for what seemed like forever-my entire left side from my hip to my neck racked in pain. What the hell just happened? I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was my front fender about thirty feet up hill from me. . . . . . More to come later. time for my pain pill.